Thai Steak Tacos with Mango and Cucumber Salsa

August 18, 2013By Jess

You may notice that there are quite a few taco recipes on this site. It’s because taco night is a weekly ritual in my household, and I try to come up with a new taco combination almost every single week (but of course we always manage to repeat our favorites). I think food is just more fun when you eat it with your hands, and a tortilla is the perfect vehicle for transporting food from your plate to your mouth. Yum!

When I hit upon a combination that I’m especially excited about, I have to share. This last week’s variation was one of those winners: Thai Steak Tacos with a very refreshing cucumber and mango salsa. I marinated my skirt steak overnight with nuoc cham (more a traditional Vietnamese sauce, but it crosses borders into Thai dishes too) to make sure it had a chance to soak up the umami and sweet flavors of the sauce.

Before grilling the steak, I threw together our mango and cucumber salsa and dressed it with more of the nuoc cham so that it would have time marinate a bit. Then I popped opened up our grill and quickly grilled the steak on high heat. I enjoyed the finished dish under the sun because tacos are better when you’re in the heat or at least in a warm-place state of mind. Enjoy with a cold beer and some limes, and this taco medley will make you feel like summer’s always around for ya.

Yesterday our ‘How-To’ post was about cubing mangos. See just how easy it is to turn this fruit into a meal accompaniment here.

Make nuoc cham – Combine 1 1/2 cups water and sweetener into a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer until reduced by about half, ~15 minutes. Mix with remainder of sauce ingredients and season to taste with hot sauce. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)

Steak – Tenderize with a fork and then combine with 1/2 cup of nuoc nam in a baking pan or a Ziploc bag. Marinate for up to 30 minutes and ideally overnight. (Can be done up to 1 day ahead)

Shallots / Cucumbers / Mango / Cilantro – Prep as directed. Toss with 1/4 cup of nuoc nam and some salt. Cover and refrigerate if not using right away.

Try to take steak out of fridge ~30 minutes before cooking for most-even results. Heat a grill pan over medium heat. Brush with cooking oil and then add steak to heated pan. Sear for about 3 to 4 minutes each side. Set aside and let rest for about 5 to 10 minutes.

Heat up tortillas according to package instructions.

Slice steak into smaller pieces or longer slices. For longer slices, remember to slice against the grain. Let everyone assemble their own tacos with steak and cucumber and mango salsa.